When I first started this blog, I wrote six short stories in development of a princess project, mentioning I’d gone through a few iterations and adjustments to the ideas. I’m still going though those iterations and figuring out which version of the story is the one I like best, but the thing I do like about fairy tale stories is the idea of “the story” itself. I’ve always been fond of Neil Gaiman’s “Instructions“, or stories like No Rest for the Wicked, which rely on the tropes as part of the world. I’m also fond of “after the golden age” style stories as well, where the great things that have been told in stories have long since passed and another generation is living under their shadow, and all of this came together in the idea for the Seven Patron Princesses.

In Adalandia, continent of a hundred kingdoms, the seven patron princesses are more than the ancestors of the seven largest kingdoms, but icons and saints, worshipped in small ways throughout the land. Each are said to represent a virtue and depict the proper way to live. Snow White, who represents purity, is depicted in red running through the snow as the forest tries to pull her back into darkness, and survived death. Sleeping Beauty, who represents patience, is most often shown in her tower, where she remained until her brave prince saved her. Rapunzel, who represents bravery, remained strong in her tower where she was stolen away by a witch. Cinderella, who represents diligence, is often depicted with fairies as she dances in her golden shoes. The Little Mermaid, who represents honesty, tied together the cliff keepers and the mermaids and became princess of two kingdoms. Beauty and the Beast, who represents kindness, entered the dark forest and tamed the King of Beasts. The Princess and the Frog, who represents humility, depicted often at her well with her frog prince in her hands. They are more than just stories.

But this was all hundreds of years ago, and now there are seven princesses again, each tied to the original seven, and they are all, for the first time, in one place.